About BinaryValue.com -A Tribute to Innovative Computers & their Engineers -
This website is a tribute to all vintage computers and their engineers who worked day and night to build these amazing machines.
Special thanks go to:
- Jay Glenn Miner (the Amiga's father and engineer on the Atari 2600 & Atari 8-bit family)
- Dave Haynie (chief engineer at Commodore International)
- Clive Sinclair (inventor of the ZX Spectrum)
- Steve Bosniak (the brains behind Apple computers)
- Tim Berners-Lee (inventor of the World Wide Web)
- Linus Torvalds (main developer of the Linux kernel)
Also to:
- The Greek Amiga Community on FB (for their support)
- DeviantArt for some nice images
Computers included on this website
This website includes technical and general information about the following computers:
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8-bit computers (Amstrad CPC, Commodore 64/128, and Sinclair ZX Spectrum)
About the Developer
Starting with a PC/XT and moving forward with an Acorn Archimedes 3000, I got involved with computers at an early age. Programming, graphic design, and computer games have always been my hobbies. Since 2010, I have developed financial websites, as I am an investment analyst who likes building WEB. Nevertheless, programming remains my hobby until today, mainly by creating TA indicators on Pine Script.
Story: Don’t trust that PC Saleswoman
My short story from the early 1990s
In the dark alleys of Stournari Street, in the center of Athens, a 14-year-old is seeking a decent computer shop. This kid is me, and I am trying to buy some software for a recently purchased 8088-PC (a gift from my parents). Stournari Street was the national center of computing in the 80s and 90s.
The police were always present there, as anarchists and the local police had (quite often) a fight near Stournari Street. I doubt if they even knew why. As a young kid, I could feel the tension in my bones.
Turning left on Patision Street, a computer shop appears and 3-4 kids come out with floppy disks in their hands. This is it, I thought, this is exactly what I'm looking for.
The front window of the computer shop is quite impressive, and you want to buy everything. Inside, there is a huge shelf loaded with original software. However, with a price tag of between 6,000 and 9,000 drachmas (something like $70-110 in today’s money), these prices were far out of any kid’s budget.
«Choose some games..» says the guy in front of the cash register. Shortly after, I choose a couple of titles and pay.
But suddenly I turn my head to the left, and I can't believe my eyes.. an Amiga 500 with a Commodore 1084 monitor playing a demo of the video game Gods. The world has changed in the blink of an eye. Incredible colors, fast scrolling, and stereo sound captivated all my senses. I had no idea that any computer of that time could even do stuff like that.
Next, I realized how much I was fooled by that PC saleswoman who told me that a PC/XT with 2 drives is the best choice for a young man. Since then, I have never trusted any salesperson in my life.
Enjoy!
■ Giorgos P.
Athens, Greece for BinaryValue.com (2022)
Top Image: RavindraPanwar
Contact: BinaryValue.com(at)gmail.com